身分认同

汉学家史书美教授在韩国长大，但是持台湾护照。16岁时她回台湾，参加联考并考取学士学位。接着她到美国加州修硕士，再到北京完成博士学位。史书美的丈夫是欧洲裔美国人，两个儿子都是美国人。

史教授最近到访马来西亚。她在接受星洲日报访问时这么表示：

“从小父母就说我们是中国人，我也一直当自己是中国人。可是到了北京，我才发现我不是中国人，而是美国人。”

美国国家地理摄影师 Michael Yamashita 是日裔美国人。他在美国长大，但是却会说日语。大学毕业后他“回到日本”。无独有偶，他也发现自己“不能够是日本人”。

二十世纪初，日本人口爆炸，许多人移民巴西。八十年代，日出之国劳工短缺，但是恐外 (xenophobic) 的日本人不愿意放松移民政策。最后，东京政府想出了个两全其美的办法：引入日裔巴西人。殊不知，第三代日裔巴西人已经融入巴西主流社会，他们讲葡萄牙语，听的是桑巴 (Samba) 音乐。由于文化上的差异，日裔巴西人和本土日本人有许多冲突。

我曾经在中国工作过几个月，同事中还有许多大马华人。我们之间交谈，主要是讲英语，偶尔也用方言，但就是不说普通话。我想，当时我是在潜意识里告诉别人：“我不是中国人！”

后来我到了美国。在那儿，我有两名同事是中国人。这时，我又以华语（普通话）和他们沟通。

身分认同这东西，还真是有点奇怪。。。

Mike Yamashita

Syariah-approved Shares

Malaysia is an Islamic state. The Islamic institutions exert enormous influence over the Muslims in this country. Even in the stock exchange of Malaysia, there is a list of so-called “Syariah-approved shares”, which are considered halal, or legal, from the perspective of religion.

Of course, this is by no means that Muslims are not allowed to own non-Syariah-approved shares. They are just discouraged to do so. As a non-Muslim, I do not refer to the list when I invest in the stock market.

(By the way, “share” is the British English term. The American equivalent is “stock”.)

I am not clear of how the Islamic institutions select the Syariah-approved shares. I do know that conventional banking in which lenders earn interest is considered haram (illegal). It is, therefore, not surprising that virtually all banking shares are not Syariah-approved.

Two airlines companies are listed in the stock exchange – Malaysian Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia. The latter is Syariah-approved while the former is not. MAS serves alcoholic drinks to the passengers, and alcohol is prohibited among Muslims. Perhaps this is the factor which contributes to its failure to earn approval. AirAsia is no-frills airlines.

But seriously, I believe that AirAsia does not deserve the status. The reason : its female cabin crews wear short skirts!

AirAsia's uniform is definitely 'haram'

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park

I went to KL Bird Park recently and took some pictures. Here you go...

The proud peacock…

Toco Toucan…

Parrot…

In KL Bird Park, “black nets” are hung over walking paths to shield the visitors from tropical searing sun. That’s a good idea, right?

Detroit’s Big Three Asking for Handouts

CEO of the Detroit Big Three (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler), together with the president of the United Auto Workers, flew to Washington D.C. recently. There appeared in the Congress where they demanded bailout amounted to at least $25 billion.

In my MBA study, one of the subjects is Business and Professional Ethics. Now, I wonder if Detroit knows what business ethics are.

Consider these:

• The CEO of the three auto companies and the Union chief were flown to Washington in separate, corporate planes.
• Ford alone maintains 8 corporate jets.
• Workers of GM, Ford and Chrysler make more than $70 per hour in combined wages and benefits, vs. around $40 for their counterparts in rival Toyota’s plants in America.
• When Congress members asked the CEO of the companies to limit their own salaries to $1 million a year, only one (Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli) agreed. GM’s Wagoner and Ford’s Mulally sidestepped the question.

[Source]

Elsewhere, I learn that GM CEO received $15.7 million in compensation last year. [Source] As a comparison, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs and Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt are paid $1 a year respectively (excluding dividends and other benefits), and you know both companies are doing well.

President-elect Obama has agreed in principle to assist Detroit, but I expect his popularity to dip if the rescue plan is passed in the Congress.

大马华人重新评估美国

奥巴马当选为美国第一位少数民族总统，顿时成为马来西亚华人的新偶像。（请看我的旧贴。）与此同时，大马华人对美国的印象，也有所改观。

许多大马华人，都是“亲中派”。中国近年来迅速崛起，挑战美国的霸主地位，双方有许多利益上的冲突。另外，中美在台独、藏独、人权、苏丹种族清洗等课题上，也意见分歧。可以想象，大马华人普遍上对美国印象不佳。

但是，大马华人和非洲裔美国人一样，都是少数民族，都受到不公平的对待。奥巴马当选总统后，大马华裔领袖乘机批评政府歧视少数民族，并呼吁全国人民向美国学习。美国总统选举，点燃了我们的希望之火。

中国人发明了一个新词，叫“软实力”。美国人跨越种族藩篱，选了个黑人当总统，这就是山姆大叔的软实力。

Chinese Malaysians re-evaluate America

Barack Obama was elected the 44^th President of the United States and immediately became the new idol of Chinese Malaysians. At the same time, they are to re-evaluating America.

Many Chinese Malaysians are fiercely pro-China. The Middle Kingdom rose rapidly since the days of Deng Xiaoping, and is now challenging the United States. Both nations have had a lot of conflicts. In addition to this, Beijing and Washington differ in their positions in such topics as Taiwan, Tibet, Sudan and human rights. Not surprisingly, Chinese Malaysians generally have not got positive feeling towards America.

However, Chinese Malaysians, like African Americans, are minorities in their own country. They have also been treated unfairly in the society. After Obama was elected the President, leaders of Chinese Malaysians criticize the government for discrimination, and urge all citizens to learn from the Americans. American presidential election has given us hope.

China has coined a new phrase, called soft power. Americans overcome racial bias to vote an ethnic minority to the office in a widely acclaimed outcome. This is the soft power of Uncle Sam.

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 mark II

Canon lens EF 50mm f1.8 mark II is made in Malaysia. It is a pride of Malaysia…

At just RM300, or less than US$90, Canon EF 50mm f1.8 produces surprisingly good image quality. I shot the pictures of Evon and Sara exclusively with this lens. Some Hong Kong photographers have dubbed it “Canon’s conscience” (良心之作)

It is, of course, not without flaws. First, focus is hit-or-miss. Second, bokeh can be better. But at this price, what can I complain???

Here is a picture taken with this lens…

Bungalow

As I browsed through the “Houses for sales” section in the newspaper, I saw this mini ad:

MINES RESORT 3sty b’glow l/a 24k b/u 10ksf modern design, golf view…

But wait a minute. What, actually, is a bungalow?

Oxford Dictionary defines ‘bungalow’ as:

Small house only one storey; (in India) such a house surrounded by a large verandah.

www.dictionary.com gives several definitions:

• A cottage of one story.
• (In India) a one-storied thatched or tiled house, usually surrounded by a veranda.

In Malaysia, the word ‘bungalow’ has taken on a new meaning. It is used to denote a house which is neither terraced nor semi-detached. It can be single storey or multi-storey. More often than not, the word conjures up an image of a large and expensive house.

Much has been said about Malaysian English, or Manglish. We often ignore tenses and add particles of local languages such as lah, mah, lor. We may, for example, say:

I go to Malacca yesterday mah…

Such a sentence, while grammatically incorrect, is still able to convey the message. But the inappropriate use of ‘bungalow’ in this country is outright confusing. Even big property developers make this mistake in their advertisements. (Well, maybe they purposely do so.)

Can our Education Ministry please educate the people?

This is a bungalow. Or is it

华人的新偶像

华人是非常骄傲的民族。我们以身为龙的传人感到自豪，并认为中华五千年文化是最优秀的。

自大的结果是种族歧视。我们瞧不起马来鬼、印度鬼、黑鬼、印尼女佣、菲律宾女佣。。。

2008年11月4日，美国举行总统选举。在这之前，活泼女郎 Kikey Loo 在她的部落格搞了个模拟总统选举，成绩令我大跌眼镜。

奥巴马最终胜出，当选为美国第44任总统。许多马来西亚华人，都雀跃万分，大家都在想：“美国有了个黑人总统，什么时候马来西亚也会有华人首相呢？”奥巴马令我们有了新的希望。

曾几何时，华人也有了一位黑人偶像

Barack Obama

The new idol of Chinese Malaysians

Problem with Going Green

It is not easy to go green…

Several months ago, I bought a reusable shopping bag from a grocery store as a replacement for plastic shopping bag. I wanted to do my part for saving the earth.

Recently, I had been stopped by the security guards twice when I went to the same grocery store. They told me to leave the bag at the entrance. WTF

Apparently, they were concerned that I would be stealing from the store…

Some Economic News

Mighty Toyota hits Speed Bump

I was shocked when I read that Toyota reported a loss in North America.

Toyota is the most-studied car maker in any MBA program. The Japanese firm is known for its lean production. Toyota is the second largest car maker in the world, behind Detroit’s General Motors. However, Toyota enjoys a far better profit margin.

Even so, the Japanese car maker could not escape the economic downturn. It reported an operating loss of 34.6 billion yen in North America. Globally, Toyota’s second-quarter net income fell 69%.

When the mighty Toyota is reporting loss, you know how bad the economy is.

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Singapore’s Casino Faces Uncertainty

Las Vegas Sands, which is building a casino in Singapore, is facing a cash shortage problem.

Singapore has an “interventionist economy”. The economy of the island republic is largely driven by the government. The two casinos under development, one by Las Vegas Sands and the other one by Malaysia’s Genting, were brainchild of Singapore’s government.

In the last few years, the government wanted to woo wealthy foreigners to migrate to the Lion City. To this end, it has built many luxury homes, such as those in Sentosa Cove. Lee Hsieng Loong’s administration is naïve to think that if they build the houses, foreigners will come. It has failed to realize that, in the 21^st century, Shanghai has replaced Singapore to become the magnet for expatriates.

Now, with the world economy heading towards recession, the casino by Las Vegas Sands is in jeopardy. I am not optimistic with the market for luxury homes too.

Nando’s Chicken

I couldn’t remember when I last visited Nando’s Chicken. I was unhappy with its diluted soda. Recently, I decided to give it another try.

Ages ago, I ordered the food at the counter. This time, however, I was told to be seated, and a waitress took my order. After a while I was served a glass of coke. The food was only delivered after 15 minutes. Since I ordered Mediterranean Rice, I wished that they would supply me with a spoon (but they didn’t).

The chicken was quite tasty. Unfortunately, the soda was as diluted as ever, and it cost RM5.90 (~ US$1.60) On top of that, service charge set me back another 10% of the price.

I think it will be another two of three years before I will dine in Nando’s again…

(Picture taken with Sony Ericsson K850i)

Recommendation:

Nando’s should consider transforming its operation into the self-service type, and do away with the service charge. The outlet I visited was located in a commercial cum industrial area, and opposite my university. On weekdays, workers and students just want to have a quick lunch there. Service is not in their mind. Furthermore, I suspect many Malaysians see it as a competitor to KFC, rather than Delifrance.

Or, if that is not possible, then perhaps diners order and pay at the counter, and take away their drinks. Waiters/waitresses deliver the food later. In this case, lower the service charge to 5%.

And, of course, don't serve diluted soda.

Calling Home from the Sky

On September 9, 2009, I was flying home from Narita Airport, Japan to Kuala Lumpur. I was flying with Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

Since I woke up very early that morning, I was rather tired. After peeking at the beautiful stewardesses for 30 minutes, I decided to take a nap. “Malaysia Airlines’ seats have larger legroom,” I thought. “Air Asia just can’t match MAS in this regard…”

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard the guy who sat next to me yelling at his mobile phone, “DARLING! I AM COMING HOME! I WILL REACH KL AIRPORT AT 5PM. I HAVE BOUGHT SOME NICE DRESSES FOR YOU. EVERYTHING IS F****** EXPENSIVE IN JAPAN…”

~~~~~~~~

Welcome onboard Malaysia Airlines. The airlines long noted for its superior service just gets better everyday. It has teamed up with AeroMobile to offer in-flight mobile phone service. You can now call home with you mobile phone from 30,000 feet above sea level!

But I am not sure if I would like the service. I find it disturbing that someone shouts into his or her mobile phone inside the cabin. I think I will try JAL or ANA in my next trip…

母语

日前在星洲日报看到一篇文章，作者认为华人的母语是方言。。。

在马来西亚，保守的董教总坚持“以母语教数理”。但是，华人的母语，到底是华语，还是粤语、闽南话、客家话、潮语。。。

我姑姑的丈夫是英国人。她孩子的母语，到底是华语，方言还是英语？按字面解释，他们的母语应该就是我姑姑的母语，但别忘了这是一个父系社会。很明显的，发明“母语”这词的人，并不知道有异族通婚这回事。

在美国，mother tongue 是一个不太常用的字，取而代之的是 first language。First language 可以解释为一个人最精通的语言。大多数美国人的第一语言是英语，主要的例外是讲西班牙话的拉丁美洲裔人。

土生土长的华裔美国人，也就是所谓的 ABC，也在英文学校上课。我没听说过花旗国有中文学校，不过，南加州的西来寺有周末中文班。许多台湾移民都把他们的子女送去西来寺学中文。我在美国期间，接触的华人都是移民，不清楚 ABC 最精通那一种语言。

母语是一个过时的概念。与其争论我们的母语是什么，还是多学几个 second language 吧。

Product Photography

I am a shutterbug. My areas of interest are travel photography and portraiture. Recently, however, I decided to give product photography a try.

Product photographs are, of course, not as exciting as the pictures of Balinese volcanoes or portraits of beautiful women. (The only exemption is food photography.) Nonetheless, they are a breakthrough for me. Product photography also tests my creativity. Not having professional tools, how can I set up my makeshift ‘studio’?

Here is the picture of Raya cookies which I took during the Muslim festival of Aidilfitri (Eid)…

And this is how I took the picture: I used the white board to reflect sunlight and lighten shadow. The board itself was held in place with four bottles of ‘essence of chicken’.